A portable V-shaped tree- or pole-mounted deer hoist is made up of a boom having a front bracket, a rear retaining bar and a separate bracket-mounted winch. The winch bracket is strapped onto the tree or pole at a location on the tree or pole below the hoist bracket. A rope connected at one end to the winch is connected at the other end to a gambrel and is used to raise or lower an animal carcass using a pulley that is attached to the front tip of the V-shaped front boom bracket. The deer hoist, winch bracket and gambrel can be easily assembled for portability.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to portable deer hoists. In particular, the invention is directed to a deer hoist that can be mounted onto any available large tree or onto a pole for dressing a deer or other game animal on the spot.
2. Description of Related Art
Hunters find their prey in forests or wooded game preserves. It is generally desirable to dress game, such as deer, as soon as possible. In dressing game it is preferable to raise the carcass off of the ground. Although vehicle mounted deer hoists are known, vehicle mounted hoists usually require an open bed truck, and require that the carcass be transported to the vehicle, sometimes over a considerable distance. Free standing deer hoists typically have heavy base structures for stability, diminishing the advantage of portability. A deer hoist which is portable and can be quickly and easily mounted to any available tree or pole support would therefore be desirable. Several inventions have been proposed to address these problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,313, issued to Miller on Jul. 15, 1975, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,404, issued to Flachs on Aug. 29, 1989, teach a portable collapsible frame hoist for raising a slaughtered animal sufficiently above ground to prevent dogs and other animals from reaching the carcass.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,063, issued to York on Feb. 21, 1989, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,372, issued to Jones on Feb. 27, 1990, teach a vehicle-mounted animal hoist.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,110, issued to Owens on Sep. 17, 1991 teaches a portable game hoist in which a V-shaped structure is fastened to a tree and a pulley is used with a rope to raise the animal. However, the structure shown lacks the strengthening and stabilizing features of the present invention, e.g., the tree- or pole-supported winch in addition to a wider, more stable V-shaped blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,265, issued to Beason et al. on Feb. 22, 1994, teaches a hinged gambrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,284, issued to Frish on Mar. 7, 1995, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,609, issued to Oldham on May 23, 1995, teach telescopic game hoists mounted on a horizontal tree limb or other overhanging structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,534, issued to McGough on Oct. 8, 1996, teaches a game hoist and skinning tool that straps onto a tree at three different positions and includes a tree-mounted winch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,455, issued to Breedlove on Oct. 13, 1998, teaches a portable game hoist including a tree-penetrating blade, a chain for strapping the hoist to a tree, and a set of pulleys for raising the game carcass.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,776, issued to Klepac on Feb. 23, 1999, teaches an expanding gambrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,521, issued to Jasek et al. on Aug. 17, 1999, teaches an adjustable gambrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,442, issued to Bounds on Apr. 4, 2000, teaches a heavy game hoist which is mounted onto a tree and includes a winch that is also tree-mounted.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,974, issued to Williams on May 16, 2000, teaches a portable tree-mounted game support.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,544, issued to Mullins on Jul. 24, 2001, teaches a game hanger used for weighing large animals.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The present invention is directed to a deer hoist. More particularly, the deer hoist is portable and tree- or pole-mounted, and includes a winch for raising the deer carcass. The hoist is attached tightly to the tree or pole using a V-shaped fastening bar. A blade located at the bottom of the hoist rests against, and partially penetrates the tree or pole thereby preventing vertical slippage. The front tip of the hoist includes a pulley and a gambrel which holds the rear legs of the carcass of the animal being raised and dressed. In addition, the hoist and winch can be easily assembled for portability by placing the parts in an appropriate relationship and using a fastener that securely holds them together.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a portable tree- or pole-mounted deer hoist.
It is another object of the invention to provide a deer hoist as described above including horizontal, vertical and angled supporting braces.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a deer hoist as described above including a tree- or pole-mounted winch.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a deer hoist as described above that can be easily assembled for portability.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.


A method of improving a human's response to vaccination with a vaccine enhancing food. This food contains at least transfer factor and lactic acid generating bacteria, and in some embodiments includes glucans. The vaccine enhancing food may be consumed before, during, or after the vaccination. The results are an improvement in the vaccine titer, a slower decay of titer, longer periods of immunity, and fewer needed boosters.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the treatment of humans with immunodeficiency disorders, who exhibit reduced or inadequate response to vaccines. More specifically, this invention describes method of consuming a medical food to activate the immune system before, during, or after vaccination. This enables the immune system to respond better, and produce a higher antibody immunity titer than would otherwise be achieved.
Description of Related Art
Immunodeficiency disorder refers to a heterogeneous group of over 130 disorders that result from defects in immune system development and/or function. Immunodeficiency disorders are broadly described as disorders of adaptive immunity (i.e., T-cell, B-cell or combination) or of innate immunity (e.g., phagocyte and complement disorders).
The population incidence of immunodeficiency disorders is difficult to quantify because many cases are not detected or treated. The person simply functions at a lower level, and repeatedly suffers from infections.
Although the clinical manifestations of immunodeficiency disorders are highly variable, most disorders involve at least an increased susceptibility to infection.
T cells and B cells are the primary cells of the adaptive immune system. B cells mediate antibody production and, therefore, play a major role in antibody-mediated immunity. Defects relating to B-cell development and/or maturation result in antibody-deficiency disorders.
T cells govern cell-mediated immune responses. Defects occurring at any stage of T-cell development, differentiation and maturation lead to T-cell (cellular) immunodeficiency disorders. Since B-cell-mediated antibody production requires intact T-cell function, most T-cell defects lead to combined (B- and T-cell) immunodeficiency disorders.
There are two generally recognized classes of immunodeficiency disorder: primary and secondary. Within this disclosure, we are defining a third class, which is high exposure immunodeficiency disorder.
Primary immunodeficiency disorder (PID) refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by poor or absent function in one or more components of the immune system. Most PIDs result from inherited defects in immune system development and/or function; however, acquired forms have also been described. Routine vaccinations at an early age may not work for a child with PID.
Secondary immunodeficiency disorder (SID) results from other causes. Examples include viral or bacterial infections, malnutrition, or treatment with drugs that induce immunosuppression. An excess of cortisol has been cited as a contributing factor.
High exposure immunodeficiency disorder (HEID) describes a situation wherein a person with a normal immune response is subjected to a high risk environment. Examples include medical students, hospital employees, and viral testing personnel. For these people, a high response titer is advantageous.
A person with any immunodeficiency disorder is in danger because he/she is vulnerable to opportunistic pathogens. The titer (which quantifies the level of immunity achieved by vaccination) may be well below normal. In some cases, the vaccination itself might cause a problem.
The treatment of immunodeficiency disorder is complex and generally requires both supportive and definitive strategies. Antibiotics and antifungals are commonly recommended for many immunodeficiency disorders to prevent the frequency and severity of infections.
The mainstay of therapy for most B-cell (antibody-deficiency) disorders is intravenous (IV) or subcutaneous Ig replacement therapy. Many patients will require this treatment indefinitely.
Vaccines are the primary tool to enhance the immune system. Vaccines present an inactivated antigen to the immune system, which then produces the appropriate protective antibodies. Vaccines are specific to a disease, but may be given in combination injections. Because the antigen is inactive, the process is safe.
Adjuvants are often used with a vaccine to stimulate the immune system. The only approved adjuvant in the United States is aluminum, which is a neurotoxin. The aluminum is present as an aluminum salt (such as aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, or aluminum potassium sulfate).
A superior way to activate stimulate the immune system would be a natural food, rather than a neurotoxin. A food-based adjuvant works to build the immune system, rather than just stimulate it.
There is a need for a medical food that builds immune function before, during, or after vaccination. The targeted response is a higher titer for persons with immunodeficiency disorders. A medical food can improve vaccine response with or without an aluminum adjuvant.
The potential for immune enhancement by transfer factor and lactic acid generating bacteria was first cited by Ramaekers [application Ser. No. 11/237,216, filed Sep. 27, 2005, full text version, paragraph 0180, line 1-2], which states, "In high risk cattle that are not preconditioned such as the heifers in these studies, direct stimulation of the immune system with stress formula along with vaccine administration appeared to indeed enhance the level of immunity against BRD."

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Vaccination response for immunodeficiency or high cortisol


A single-point impact sensor has a fully differential capacitive sense element for providing a capacitive difference which is proportional to the acceleration of the vehicle. The capacitive difference is converted into a digital pulse train signal which is pulse density modulated with variations in the capacitance. The pulse density of the pulse train is evaluated according to a hierarchy of counters and timers to determine if it is indicative of an activation worthy event. In one embodiment, a non-volatile programmable memory is provided to control the operation of the impact sensor.

Passive restraint systems such as airbags or automotive seat belt tensioners have experienced increased usage in vehicles to protect passengers during frontal collisions. These types of restraints require no extra action by the passenger to achieve protection. Rather, the passive restraint is automatically activated in the event of an activation worthy impact event.
Various types of impact sensors have been designed for determining if passive restraint, such as inflation of the airbag, is needed for a given impact event to ensure that the airbag is inflated only when airbag protection is necessary. Ideally, the impact sensor is able to discriminate between activation worthy events and non-activation worthy events.
One type of impact sensing system uses a plurality of threshold switches in the front region of the vehicle. These switches send an impact signal for inflating the airbag if a high impact event is severe enough to close the switches. Mechanical sensor-based systems of this type too often rely on sensor redundancy to minimize the negative effects of any sensor malfunction which may occur. This requires a large number of switches within each vehicle, increasing the overall complexity of the impact sensing system. Wire harnesses which require additional assembly must also be used in this type of system. Additionally, the threshold switches must be located in strategic places in the vehicle where they have the best opportunity to detect and discriminate between various types of impacts. Determining these locations requires extensive impact testing and studying of impact effects on the vehicle to determine the best placement for the threshold switch sensors.
Another type of impact sensing system uses single-point impact sensors instead of multiple switches. This type of sensor has an accelerometer located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle to constantly monitor the acceleration of the vehicle and sense any sudden deceleration of the vehicle. The output of the accelerometer is continuously analyzed to determine if and when deceleration occurs and if the deceleration is caused by a impact which is severe enough to require activation of the airbag or other passenger restraint. The impact sensing system must be sophisticated enough to prevent inadvertent activation of the safety devices and yet simple enough to test quickly and often to assure proper operation.
A single-point impact sensing system must also be able to quickly and efficiently evaluate the output from the accelerometer to determine whether a given impact requires activation of safety mechanisms. The output of the accelerometer must have characteristics which can be easily analyzed to discriminate between activation worthy and non-activation worthy events. The impact sensor must measure not only the magnitude of the deceleration but also its duration to provide the most accurate response.
Many types of single-point impact sensors use the frequency response of the accelerometer to determine whether a given impact requires activation of passenger restraints. One type of single-point impact sensor is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,322 to Mazur et al. The signal from the accelerometer is sent through an analog-to-digital converter to convert it into a digitized time domain vibratory electric signal. A fast Fourier transform device then transforms the digitized signal into frequency domain signals. The amplitudes of the frequency domain signals are summed over the entire frequency spectrum and evaluated to determine whether there are frequency components which indicate the occurrences of a predetermined type of vehicle impact. The passenger restraint is actuated when the sum of the amplitudes of at least one selected frequency is greater than a predetermined threshold. This type of impact sensing method, as well as the circuitry to perform this method, is quite complex since the accelerometer signal must first be digitized and then converted into the frequency domain before any type of signal evaluation can take place. Transform devices and various filters for eliminating signals outside the desired frequency range must be used to analyze the acceleration signal, increasing the overall number of electrical devices in the impact sensor and decreasing its adaptability for integration onto a single chip.
An accelerometer which provides a digital output is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,750 to Suzuki et al. The accelerometer has a movable electrode in between two fixed electrodes to form two variable capacitors. Acceleration forces displace the movable electrode, changing the size of the gaps in between the movable electrode and the fixed electrodes and consequently varying the two capacitances. A capacitance detector measures the gaps and generates an output voltage which represents the difference between the lengths of the gaps. A pulse width modulator generates an output signal which has a pulse width modulated according to the magnitude output voltage. The pulse width of this output signal is accurately proportional to the acceleration to be detected. This output signal, however, cannot be easily interpreted to determine the occurrence of a vehicular impact condition and therefore the accelerometer is not easily adaptable for use in a single-point impact sensor. Also, the response in this type of accelerometer is susceptible to temperature changes, requiring additional temperature compensation circuitry to offset the changes.

Integrated silicon automotive accelerometer and single-point impact sensor


All-woven inflatable fabrics having at least one area of two layers and at least one attachment point or xe2x80x9cseamxe2x80x9d where a single layer of fabric is formed. Such single fabric layers may be constructed through the utilization of basket weave patterns. The single fabric layers provide a relatively a effective manner of reducing air permeability within the entire fabric article by decreasing the possibility of yarn shifting upon inflation of the inflatable fabric. Alternatively, the presence of at least a second single fabric layer area adjacent to the first and separated by and narrow double fabric layer area can further reduce the possibility of yarn shifting in the first single fabric layer area. Such a fabric may be utilized in numerous and various applications wherein fabric inflation is desired or necessary. In particular, the inventive fabric may be incorporated within an airbag cushion.

The invention relates to all-woven inflatable fabrics which comprise areas of two layers and attachment points or xe2x80x9cseamsxe2x80x9d where single layers of fabric are formed. Such single fabric layers are constructed solely through the utilization of basket weave patterns. These specific single fabric layers provide a relatively effective manner of reducing air permeability within the entire fabric article by decreasing the possibility of yam shifting upon inflation of the inflatable fabric. Alternatively, the presence of at least a second single fabric layer area adjacent to the first and separated by a narrow double fabric layer can further reduce the possibility of yarn shifting in the first single fabric layer area. Such a fabric may be utilized in numerous and various applications wherein fabric inflation is desired or necessary. In particular, the inventive fabric may be incorporated within an airbag cushion.
All U.S. patent cited herein are hereby fully incorporated by reference.
Inflatable protective cushions used in passenger vehicles are a component of relatively complex passive restraint systems. The main elements of these systems are: an impact sensing system, an ignition system, a propellant material, an attachment device, a system enclosure, and an inflatable protective cushion. Upon sensing an impact, the propellant is ignited causing an explosive release of gases filing the cushion to a deployed state which can absorb the impact of the forward movement of a body and dissipate its energy by means of rapid venting of the gas. The entire sequence of events occurs within about 30 milliseconds. In the undeployed state, the cushion is stored in or near the steering column, the dashboard, in a door, or in the back of a front seat placing the cushion in close proximity to the person or object it is to protect.
Inflatable cushion systems commonly referred to as air bag systems have been used in the past to protect both the operator of the vehicle and passengers. Systems for the protection of the vehicle operator have typically been mounted in the steering column of the vehicle and have utilized cushion constructions directly deployable towards the driver. These driver-side cushions are typically of a relatively simple configuration in that they function over a fairly small well-defined area between the driver and the steering column. One such configuration is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,755 to Nelsen et al., issued Jul. 9, 1996, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Inflatable cushions for use in the protection of passengers against frontal or side impacts must generally have a more complex configuration since the position of a vehicle passenger may not be well defined and greater distance may exist between the passenger and the surface of the vehicle against which that passenger might be thrown in the event of a collision. Prior cushions for use in such environments are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,414 to Bishop; U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,594 to Krickl; U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,273 to Hawthorn et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,337 to Yamaji et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,216 to Wehner et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,729 to Watanabe; U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,071 to Wallner et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,529 to Backhaus; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,873 to Buchner et al.
The majority of commercially used restraint cushions are formed of woven fabric materials utilizing multifilament synthetic yams of materials such as polyester, nylon 6 or nylon 6,6 polymers. Representative fabrics for such use are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,735 to Bloch; U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,163 to Krummheuer et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,666 to Menzel et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,775 to Swoboda et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,230 to Sollars, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,680 to Krummheuer et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,890 to Krummheuer et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,508,073 to Krummheuer et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,197 to Bower et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,402 to Bowen et al. A two-weave construction airbag cushion is exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,395 to Graham et al. but does not discuss the importance of narrow basket-weave single fabric layers.
As will be appreciated, the permeability of an airbag cushion structure is an important factor in determining the rate of inflation and subsequent rapid deflation following the impact event. Different airbag cushions are utilized for different purposes. For instance, some airbag cushions are installed within inflation modules for driver protection within the steering column of an automobile. Others are utilized as protection for front seat passengers and are installed in and around the glove compartment and/or on the dashboard in front of such a passenger seat. Still others have been developed in an effort to protect all passengers during a long duration impact event, such as, for example, a rollover collision. In those types of crashes, the target airbag cushion must inflate quickly under high pressure (such as between about 10 and 40 psi) and remain inflated at a relatively high pressures in order to provide the greatest degree of protection to such passengers. Furthermore, such long-duration airbag cushions preferably comprise xe2x80x9cpillowxe2x80x9d formations created through the attachment of at least two different fabrics or fabric ends together and sealed, sewn, or the like, together. Upon inflation the free space between the attachment points inflate as well, thereby producing the desired cushioned xe2x80x9cpillowxe2x80x9d structures. Such long-duration, xe2x80x9cpillowedxe2x80x9d structures have been disclosed in the prior art as airbag cushions within U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,270 to Halano. However, in order to provide a suitable, effective airbag fabric and cushion comprising two or more points of attachment between fabrics or fabric ends, there has been a need to improve upon the structural integrity of the seams at such attachment points to prevent unwanted and potentially harmful leakage of gas or air from within the target airbag cushion. The prior art has discussed the development of coatings to place over the sewn seams at such attachment points in order to seal the potentially loose portions of such seams and/or to keep the individual yarns of the airbag fabrics at the attachment points stationary in order to prevent yarn shifting and thus possible openings for air or gas leakage. However, such coatings are actually supplemental to the seam structures in providing the necessary barrier to air or gas. A strong, effective, efficient weave construction is the primary method of initially producing an effective airbag fabric for incorporation within an airbag cushion.
Previous attempts have been made at producing inflatable fabrics comprising xe2x80x9cpillowedxe2x80x9d chambers (such as for side curtains, and the like) which have been produced solely through a weaving procedure and which exhibit reduced air permeability within their weave constructions (in other words, fabrics which are not sewn together to form an inflatable structure). For instance, the closest art appears to be U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,183 to Thomton et al. which discloses an inflatable fabric structure comprising at least two different areas of differing fabric layers. Patentees discuss two layers of fabric produced by a plain weave and single layer constructions of a plurality of different weave patterns. The interface between the two different fabric layer areas must exhibit at least three different fabric densities (which are dictated by weave constructions), wherein the two looser constructions (double layer plain weave and single layer basket weave) are separated by a tighter construction (single layer plain weave). Such an overall inflatable fabric structure may possess the necessary air permeability characteristics required for proper functioning within a side curtain airbag cushion (particularly upon coating with a standard airbag coating composition); however, the numerous differences in fabric densities also place varying pressures upon discrete areas of the fabric (particularly at or near the interface between the differing fabric layer areas) such that yarn shifting will most likely occur during an inflation event which may produce discontinuities in the integrity of the coating which may in turn compromise the long-term air permeability required for certain airbag applications.
Attempts have been made at improving on such a fabric; however these have led to an increase in the number of different fabric density areas on the fabric, rather than reducing such differing densities. For example, a plain weave construction has been utilized within the double layer area, adjacent to a transition weave pattern, which connects with an Oxford weave pattern, and then either a basket-weave or plain weave construction for the remainder of the single layer area on the fabric. Such a complicated scheme is difficult to produce on a weaving apparatus, as an initial problem. Secondly, the utilization of an Oxford weave zone has been utilized in an attempt to prevent the possibility of weaving in a plain pattern (which is highly undesirable due to the difficulty in manufacturing such high density single-layers fabrics from double-layer amounts of yarn). However, if the area of single layer of fabric is not substantially a straight line, and thus must follow a curved structure, the Oxford weave will eventually become a plain weave for at least that area around such a curved seam. In such an instance, the interface between the two differing layers of fabric will be irregular and invariably produce an undesirable and/or irregular number of floats (i.e., yarns which pass either over or under a certain number of perpendicularly oriented yarns; greater than three such oriented yarns would produce difficulties in preventing yarn shifting, as merely one example). As such, the resultant fabric is itself highly undesirable as a barrier to air permeability, even though coatings may be applied to increase such performance. Thirdly, the individual yarns at the seam between the double and single layer areas, will be placed upon tremendous strain during an inflation event and, as in the Thornton et al. teaching, will most likely result in yarn shifting. With such shifting yarns, the permeability benefits, if any, would, again, most likely be compromised and the produced airbag fabric would not function as required.
To date, there has been no method or fabric structure which has remedied these problems and still can be efficiently woven in a one-step process. A clear need for such an improvement in inflatable fabrics is thus necessary.
In view of the foregoing, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an inflatable all-woven fabric having all-basket-woven seams at the single/double layer interfaces within the fabric. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide an all-woven inflatable fabric with double layer zones of fabric and single layer zones of fabric (to form xe2x80x9cpillowedxe2x80x9d chambers) which comprises at most two different fabric densities throughout the entire fabric structure. Also, an object of this invention is for the utilization of such inflatable fabrics as airbag cushions within a vehicle restraint system. The term xe2x80x9cvehicle restraint systemxe2x80x9d is intended to mean both inflatable occupant restraining cushion and the mechanical and chemical components (such as the inflation means, ignition means, propellant, and the like).
To achieve these and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides an inflatable fabric comprising at least two layers of fabric in certain discrete areas of the fabric and at least one narrow single fabric layer at a discrete area within said fabric, wherein said at least one narrow single fabric layer is formed solely from a basket weave pattern of an even number of yarns, at most 12 yarns in width; preferably, and as well known to the skilled artisan in the fabric weaving industry, the weave structure for said single layer fabrics is a 2xc3x972 basket weave pattern at most from 4 to 8 yarns in length. Also, this invention encompasses an inflatable fabric comprising at least two layers of fabric in certain discrete areas of the fabric and at least one single fabric layer at a discrete area within said fabric, wherein the weave diagram for such a fabric does not exhibit more than three consecutive unfilled blocks in any row or column. Furthermore, this invention also concerns an inflatable fabric comprising at least two layers of fabric in certain discrete areas of the fabric and at least one single fabric layer at a discrete area within said fabric, wherein only two separate weave densities are present within the entire fabric structure.
The term xe2x80x9cinflatable fabricxe2x80x9d is intended to encompass any fabric which is constructed of at least two layers of fabric which can be sealed to form a bag article. The inventive inflatable fabric thus must include double layers of fabric to permit such inflation, as well as single layers of fabric either to act as a seal at the ends of such fabric panels, or to provide xe2x80x9cpillowedxe2x80x9d chambers within the target fabric upon inflation. The term xe2x80x9call-wovenxe2x80x9d as it pertains to the inventive fabric thus requires that the inflatable fabric having double and single layers of fabric be produced solely upon a loom. Any type of loom may be utilized for this purpose, such as water-jet, air-jet, rapier, dobby, and the like. Jacquard weaving and dobby weaving, however, are most preferred.
The constructed fabric may exhibit balanced or unbalanced pick/end counts; the main requirement in the woven construction is that the single layer areas of the inflatable fabric exhibit solely basket-weave patterns. These patterns are made through the arrangement of at least one warp yarn (or weft yarn) configured around the same side of two adjacent weft yarns (or warp yarns) within the weave pattern. The resultant pattern appears as a xe2x80x9cbasketxe2x80x9d upon the arrangement of the same warp (or weft) yarn to the opposite side of the next adjacent weft (or warp) yarn. Such basket weave patterns may include the arrangement of a warp (or weft) yarn around the same side of any even number of weft (or warp) yarns, preferably up to about six at any one time.
The sole utilization of such basket weave patterns in the single layer zones provides a number of heretofore unexplored benefits within inflatable fabric structures. For example, such basket weave patterns permit a constant xe2x80x9cseamxe2x80x9d width and weave construction over an entire single layer area, even where the area is curved. As noted above, the standard Oxford weaves currently utilized cannot remain as the same weave pattern around curved seams; they become plain weave patterns. Also, such basket weave seam patterns permit the construction of an inflatable fabric having only plain woven double layer fabric areas and single layer xe2x80x9cseamsxe2x80x9d with no xe2x80x9cfloatsxe2x80x9d of greater than three picks within the entire fabric structure. Such a fabric would thus not possess discrete locations where the air permeability is substantially greater than the remaining portions of the fabric. Generally, the prior art (such as Thomton et al., supra) produce floats of sometimes as much as six or seven picks at a time. Although available software to the weaving industry permits xe2x80x9cfilling inxe2x80x9d of such floats within weave diagrams, such a procedure takes time and still does not continuously provide a fabric exhibiting substantially balanced air permeability characteristics over the entire structure. The basket-weave formations within the single fabric layers thus must be positioned in the fabric so as to prevent irregularities (large numbers of floats, for example) in the weave construction at the interface between the single and double fabric layers (as described in FIG. 2, below). Another benefit such basket weave patterns accord the user is the ability to produce more than one area of single layer fabric (i.e., another xe2x80x9cseamxe2x80x9d within the fabric) adjacent to the first xe2x80x9cseam.xe2x80x9d Such a second seam provides a manner of dissipating the pressure from or transferring the load upon each individual yarn within both seams. Such a benefit thus reduces the chances of deleterious yarn shifting during an inflation event through the utilization of strictly a woven fabric construction (i.e., not necessarily relying upon the utilization of a coating as well). The previously disclosed or utilized inflatable fabrics having both double and single fabric layer areas have not explored such a possibility in utilizing two basket-weave pattern seams. Furthermore, such a two-seam construction eliminates the need for weaving a large single fabric layer area within the target inflatable fabric. The prior art fabrics which produce xe2x80x9cpillowedxe2x80x9d chambers for airbag cushions (such as side curtains), have been formed through the weaving of entire areas of single fabric layers (which are not actually seams themselves). Such a procedure is time-consuming and rather difficult to perform. The inventive inflatable fabric merely requires, this alternative embodiment, at least two very narrow single fabric layer areas (seams) woven into the fabric structure (another preferred embodiment utilizes merely one seam of single layer fabric); the remainder of the fabric located within these two areas may be double layer if desired. Thus, the inventive fabric permits an improved, cost-effective, method of making a xe2x80x9cpillowedxe2x80x9d inflatable fabric.
The inflatable fabric itself is preferably produced from all-synthetic fibers, such as polyesters and polyarnides, although natural fibers may also be utilized in certain circumstances. Preferably, the fabric is constructed of nylon-6,6. The individual yarns utilized within the fabric substrate must generally possess deniers within the range of from about 40 to about 840; preferably from about 100 to about 630.
As noted above, coatings should be applied to the surface as a necessary supplement to the air permeability of the inventive fabric. Since one preferred ultimate use of this inventive fabric is as a side curtain airbag which must maintain a very low degree of air permeability throughout a collision event (such as a rollover where the curtain must protect passengers for an appreciable amount of time), a decrease in permitted air permeability is highly desirable. Any standard coating, such as silicon polyurethane; polyamide, polyester rubber (such as neoprene, for example), and the like, may be utilized for this purpose and may be applied in any standard method and in any standard amount on the fabric surface.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice for the invention. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of preferred embodiments are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not to be viewed as in any way restricting the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Inflatable fabrics having woven attachment points between fabric panels